I served in the Navy from 1978-1982 as an Arabic linguist. Whenever we deployed in the Middle East we had a Russian linguist with us, too, because the Soviets were everywhere. That was the hot war part of the Cold War. When the Cold War existed it was always hot somewhere. So I was very familiar with the Soviet leadership. Gorbachev trul…
I served in the Navy from 1978-1982 as an Arabic linguist. Whenever we deployed in the Middle East we had a Russian linguist with us, too, because the Soviets were everywhere. That was the hot war part of the Cold War. When the Cold War existed it was always hot somewhere. So I was very familiar with the Soviet leadership. Gorbachev truly was different. He seemed human. None of the other Soviet leaders from Lenin on did. I think Gorbachev was genuinely an idealistic Communist, not power hungry. Communism sounds good, if you believe most people will act without self interest. That’s incredibly naive to think that way. I think Gorbachev thought better of his countrymen than they deserved. Communism is not a workable system. If you’re an idealist you can hope that it is.
I served in the Navy from 1978-1982 as an Arabic linguist. Whenever we deployed in the Middle East we had a Russian linguist with us, too, because the Soviets were everywhere. That was the hot war part of the Cold War. When the Cold War existed it was always hot somewhere. So I was very familiar with the Soviet leadership. Gorbachev truly was different. He seemed human. None of the other Soviet leaders from Lenin on did. I think Gorbachev was genuinely an idealistic Communist, not power hungry. Communism sounds good, if you believe most people will act without self interest. That’s incredibly naive to think that way. I think Gorbachev thought better of his countrymen than they deserved. Communism is not a workable system. If you’re an idealist you can hope that it is.
Tell it to the Lithuanians he butchered in 1991.